


Never Leave

by Shimegami



Category: Free!
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hugs, Kink Meme, M/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-23
Updated: 2013-08-23
Packaged: 2017-12-24 08:59:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/938075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shimegami/pseuds/Shimegami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka doesn't take abandonment well.  Fortunately Makoto's always going to be there to see him through it.</p>
<p>De-anon from the kink meme, episode 7 spoilers.  Shameless, shameless schmoop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Leave

**Author's Note:**

> Woooo de-anon! This is not as long or thought-provoking as my other Makoto POV, but I hope you enjoy it. There cannot be enough cavities in the world to contain this fluff. There is no substance but cotton candy clouds of fluff.

Makoto finds Haru in the locker rooms, long after all of the races have ended.  
  
He isn't quite sure what exactly Rin said to Haru, he'd been too far away to tell, but whatever it had been it had hit...hard. He hasn't seen Haru like this for a long time. Not since Grandma Nanase had passed, at least.  
  
Haru doesn't deal well with people leaving, he never has.  
  
Makoto walks over the figure huddled into a ball in the corner, crouching in front of him and carefully raising a hand to gently brush at Haru's hair. Whenever Haru's upset, it's hit or miss on whether he'll accept comfort or lash out at it.  
  
Haru stirs slightly at the fingers running through his hair, but doesn't slap them away, so it's okay for Makoto to move to a kneeling position, slightly closer. He continues petting Haru's hair, making sure to keep everything about himself soft and gentle. Nothing at all like Rin's sharp angles.  
  
“Haru?” He murmurs, voice small but sounding way too loud in the long-empty room. “It's late, let's get home.” It's no use asking if he's all right, since he obviously isn't and Haru won't tell unless it's on his own good time, so the important part is getting him home safe.  
  
Haru acts like he doesn't hear for a moment, before his head lifts slightly. It's enough for Makoto to glimpse a flash of blue eyes – they're so  _empty_ , Makoto realizes, and he forces down a foreign violent urge to go find Rin and  _punch him in the face_  for doing this to Haru – before Haru unwraps his arms and proceeds to rewrap himself around Makoto. Strong arms slip under Makoto's and cling to his back, hands fisting in his jersey, and Haru buries his face into Makoto's neck. A shaky, shuddering sigh comes out from Haru, and Makoto continues stroking his hair gently, trying his best to exude soft comfort, the exact opposite of Rin. He always used to be jealous about it, about the fact that Rin was everything he  _wasn't_  and how he captured Haru's attention so easily, but for now he's quite happy he's nothing like Rin.  
  
Haru is clinging to him like a limpet, trembling just slightly under Makoto's touch. It's going to be a pain to get home, but Makoto doesn't mind. He would do anything for Haru.  
  
“Let's go home, okay?” He whispers into Haru's ear, gently kissing the hair above it afterwards as he wraps his arms around Haru in return and pulls them both to their feet. Haru awkwardly shuffles to the side to get into a better position for walking, but he refuses to let go of Makoto. It ends up with Haru pressed shoulder to hip against Makoto's side, arms still wrapped around Makoto's chest and Makoto's arm draped over his shoulders.  
  
Makoto starts leading them slowly out of the building and towards home, rubbing Haru's arm absently the entire way. He makes a mental note to call or text his mother, because he obviously isn't going home tonight.

 

* * *

 

 

The walk home is slow, and very silent, but Makoto doesn't really mind. It's never awkward when it's just the two of them, and although Makoto is worried about Haru, the other teen is safely tucked under his arm and the night peaceful, them just walking and drinking in each other's presence. He knows Haru finds it peaceful, too, since some of the tension has relaxed out of his body, although not all and he's still shaking a bit.  
  
Makoto manages to send a one-handed text to his mom about the circumstances on the way to Haru's house. He doesn't divulge anything specific or worrying, since he got the worrywart trait from somewhere and his mom would think nothing of barging into the Nanase house with cookies and blankets if she had the slightest feeling that something was wrong with Haru. It would be good-intentioned, but probably not the best for Haru right now. So he only gets back a cheerful text telling him to have fun – spontaneous sleepovers are almost a weekly ritual between them, after all. He lets out a soft breath, relieved, and then goes back to giving his full attention to Haru.  
  
When they get to Haru's house, Makoto nudges off his shoes and makes sure Haru does the same, before guiding them straight to Haru's bedroom. Dinner would be wasted since Haru wouldn't eat it and Makoto would spend more time trying to fix that than eating himself. Likewise, a bath would do no good, since no matter how much Haru uses water to escape, it would only be full of bad memories right now. So it's to the bedroom they go.  
  
He kicks the door shut behind him and guides them both to sit on the bed, not even bothering with the light since he knows Haru's room as well as his own. As soon as they're sitting Haru shifts again, moving back to his original position of facing Makoto, arms around his back and face hidden into his neck. Makoto smiles softly, carefully tucking a lock of hair behind Haru's ear.  
  
Haru's still shivering, and Makoto belatedly realizes that Haru's clothes are a little damp. He obviously hadn't dried off after the race...he probably hadn't even showered, the scent of chlorine was even stronger than normal. He sighs softly, because Haru needs to take care of himself better really, but Makoto is here to do what Haru won't do for himself so he supposes it's okay.  
  
He shifts on the bed, gently prying Haru's arms off of him for a moment. Haru makes the first sound he's probably made since the race – a soft, desperate protest at the loss of contact that nearly breaks Makoto's heart. He finds himself truly hating Rin a little bit at that sound. He shoves the feeling away, because it's ugly and he has more pressing concerns right now.  
  
Makoto makes a soft shushing sound, kissing Haru's cheek as he wraps the front of his jersey around Haru's back, letting Haru back in close as he zips it up. The jersey was a bit loose even on his huge frame, and he's glad for it now, since it fits comfortably around the both of them. Haru's arms immediately snake their way back around Makoto's chest as he snuggles back against Makoto, and Makoto rubs his back, murmuring soft nonsense as he slowly leans back and lies down on the bed, shifting around until they're both lying comfortably, Haru tucked against Makoto's chest, head resting against Makoto's collarbone.  
  
They stay like that for a while – seconds, minutes, hours, he loses track somewhere – Haru just breathing softly and Makoto absently stroking his back.  
  
Makoto is brought out of the almost hypnotic doze when Haru's head shifts, just a slight bit, and he brings his head up. The moon and streetlights from outside highlight the side of Haru's face, and Makoto reaches up without thinking to softly stroke the pale white cheekbone. “Haru?” He whispers softly, not wanting to press Haru until he's ready.  
  
Haru's eyes close at the touch, and he leans softly into Makoto's hand. Makoto finds himself smiling softly. Haru was just like a cat, sometimes, outwardly cold and standoffish, but there were times where he could be awfully sweet, silently begging for affection. Makoto would never hesitate to give it to him. He would give anything, do anything if it was for Haru.  
  
“Makoto...” Haru mumbles, the edge of his lips brushing against Makoto's palm. “You...you'll never leave, right? You'll always be at my side.”  
  
Makoto feels his smile growing, something sweet melting in his chest as he gently runs his thumb over Haru's mouth. It's times like these that he knows he's painfully in love with Haru, and while he wishes that it didn't take this kind of pain to bring it more to the surface, it's always a warm, fuzzy feeling to know it's returned. Haru may not always say it, or show it, and most people think that he's cold and Makoto's wasting his affections, but Makoto knows better. Makoto is the only one Haru would dare show this side to, this vulnerable, desperately needy side that is terrified of being left alone. In a small, admittedly childish part of him, he is smugly satisfied that this is the part of Haru that Rin will never have. It's Makoto's small victory – Rin may have Haru's spirit and challenge, but he doesn't have his heart.  
  
 _I win, Rin_. Makoto feels a little bad for thinking it, but well, no one has to know.  
  
“Of course I will, Haru. I'll always be with you.” Makoto whispers gently in response, leaning up to give Haru a soft kiss. In the moonlight Haru's eyes shimmer, reflecting and refracting the light like his beloved pool water. There are a lot of emotions in Haru's eyes if you know how to read them – they're not all good, right now...there's fear, and loneliness, and sadness, and if Makoto ever learns what Rin said he probably  _would_  punch him. But it means they're not  _empty_  like earlier, and there's others, too. A sense of relief, and there's love too, and it makes Makoto's heart swell to know that it's there because of  _him_. No, he'll never leave Haru. Ever.  
  
So he can forget punching Rin, and just stay by Haru's side, slowly chasing the darkness out of those brilliant blue eyes until only that love remains. He doesn't need anything else other than this.  
  
Then those eyes close as Haru gently lays his head back down onto Makoto's chest, hand clutching his shirt as he snuggles close. Soon his breath evens out, slowing into the peaceful rhythm of slumber.  
  
Makoto smiles again, dipping his head to carefully kiss Haru's hair, before lying back down and closing his eyes, slowly drifting off himself. The tension and heartbreak of the day is practically worlds away from this room, with only soft moonlight and the sound of steady breathing in time with the waves that you can only just hear from Haru's house.  
  
As long as they always have each other, everything else will be okay. 

**Author's Note:**

> Woo. 8D I'm not sorry.
> 
> Now I should write something with actual plot instead. Or more of Snails, but Rin being a jackass in the latest episode makes me not want to touch him right now or he'll end up very bitter. I'll get over it though, my Free bicycle needs to be ridden.


End file.
